Plum Pudding coral bells

Sun

Partial shade, ideally morning sun and afternoon shade. More sun is tolerated in cool climates if the soil stays moist; protect from strong afternoon sun in hot areas.

Water

Keep evenly moist while establishing. Once established, water during dry spells, allowing the surface soil to dry slightly between waterings; avoid waterlogged conditions.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained soil, from slightly acidic to neutral or mildly alkaline. Improve heavy clay drainage before planting.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m) in leaf; 1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m) with flower stems

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Small creamy-white flowers on slender stems in late spring and early summer.

Foliage

Evergreen. Rounded, lobed, ruffled leaves in plum-purple, with a silvery sheen, dark veins and purple undersides. Colour changes with light, temperature and leaf age.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.7 ft (0.22 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant with the crown at soil level, not buried beneath soil or mulch.
• Water at soil level during dry spells, especially in containers.
• Apply a light dressing of compost in spring; avoid heavy feeding.
• Mulch around the clump to conserve moisture, leaving the crown clear.
• Divide every three to four years if the centre becomes woody or the crown rises above the soil.

Pruning. In early spring, remove dead or badly damaged leaves without cutting into the crown or new growth. Cut spent flower stems back to the base after flowering.

Early spring

Remove winter-damaged leaves and gently firm in any crowns lifted by frost.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, keeping the crown at soil level, and add a light dressing of compost.

Late spring

Check container plants for vine weevil damage if growth stalls or foliage wilts despite moist soil.

Summer

Water during dry spells and protect leaves from intense afternoon sun.

After flowering

Remove spent flower stems for a tidier clump.

Autumn

Clear fallen debris from the crown and check that pots drain freely before prolonged wet weather.

• Edge a partly shaded path with repeated clumps for a low ribbon of purple foliage.
• Pair with hostas and ferns to contrast rounded, silvered leaves with broad green leaves and fine fronds.
• Use in containers with good drainage for foliage colour beyond the flowering season.
• Plant in small groups beneath open-canopied shrubs, away from the driest root competition.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Cottage garden, Modern courtyard, Blues and silvers, Small-space and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Hostas, Japanese painted fern, Siberian bugloss, Hellebores, Astilbes and Japanese forest grass.

Wildlife: The small flowers can provide nectar and pollen for visiting insects. Its main garden value is foliage rather than a large or prolonged floral food supply.

• Vine weevil: larvae eat roots and can leave the crown loose. Inspect affected plants, remove larvae and use a suitable biological nematode treatment when soil temperatures permit.
• Crown or root rot: wet soil and buried crowns cause decline. Improve drainage, keep the crown exposed and discard badly rotted plants.
• Leaf scorch: hot sun and dry roots cause brown, crisp leaf edges. Provide afternoon shade and water deeply during dry weather.
• Frost heaving: repeated freezing and thawing can lift shallow crowns. Gently re-firm plants when the soil thaws and mulch around, but not over, the crown.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as poisonous, but it is not a food plant and eating plant material may cause mild stomach upset.

• Palace Purple coral bells (Heuchera 'Palace Purple')

  Usually has bronzy-purple foliage with much less silver overlay; leaf colour can vary, particularly in seed-raised plants.

• Obsidian coral bells (Heuchera 'Obsidian')

  Has very dark, glossy, nearly black leaves without the conspicuous silvery overlay and contrasting veins of 'Plum Pudding'.

Heuchera honours the German physician and botanist Johann Heinrich von Heucher, while coral bells refers to the bell-shaped flowers found in the genus.

Propagation. Divide healthy clumps in spring, retaining rooted sections with growing points. Rooted basal shoots can also be separated; seedlings will not reliably retain the cultivar's foliage.

Accepted botanical name

Heuchera

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.